A talented musician surprised his wife at a hospice with a special concert on the ward caring for her.

Skip Atkins, 57, of Upminster, sang the iconic hit Only You by Vince Clarke and played the guitar, when he visited his wife Jan, 58, who suffers from breast cancer at the inpatient unit at Saint Francis Hospice last week.

The guitarist, who has played in bands for years, decided to use his talent to raise money for the charity, which has been looking after Jan since June last year.

“I am so proud of Skip and what he is doing for the hospice and it really made me smile when I heard him singing on the ward,” said Jan.

Skip added: “I am so pleased that it has been a success as I feel I am doing something to help Jan by helping the hospice that is caring for her.”

Earlier this month, Skip raised £200 to fund end of life care by busking in High Street, Brentwood, and previously raised £1.600 after taking part in the 10k Vitality London race in May.

The couple and parents of two will be celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary next month.

Skip will perform again in Brentwood High Street on November 5 and December 16 for the hospice.

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining,” so the saying goes. So if some warm weather is making your conservatory uninhabitable, think about replacing its roof with a flat one and adding a roof lantern instead.

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